Failure to Provide Consistent Access to Working Telephones
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that all residents on the Two South unit were consistently provided with working telephones, as required to accommodate their needs and preferences. During observations, several telephones on the Two South unit were found to have no dial tone and were non-functional. Specifically, out of ten residents' telephones sampled across multiple units, four telephones located on the Two South unit were not working. One resident, who was cognitively impaired and required staff assistance for activities of daily living, was observed with a non-working telephone in his room. His family member reported that the phone had not been working for months, limiting their ability to communicate. Staff interviews confirmed awareness of the non-functional telephones, with a registered nurse acknowledging the issue and indicating that maintenance requests would be made. The facility's policy states that every resident should have access to a phone unless declined, and in shared rooms, phone access may be shared. Despite this, the deficiency was identified through direct observation and family report, indicating that the facility did not always provide reasonable access to working telephones for all residents as required.